


Love, Will

by Thefemalearrow



Series: The Creekwoodverse but it's Stranger Things [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Love Simon Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down, Angst with a Happy Ending, Big Gay Love Story, Blackmail, Coming Out, Ferris Wheels, Gay Mike Wheeler, Gay Will Byers, Homophobia, LGBTQ Character, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Pen Pals, Queen (Band) References, Underage Drinking, lying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26428285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thefemalearrow/pseuds/Thefemalearrow
Summary: Will Byers has one major secret: no one knows he's gay. He begins to email another closeted gay kid at his school. But when his secret is threatened, will he be able to keep his secret while staying true to himself.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers & Will Byers, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Will Byers & Eleven | Jane & Dustin Henderson & Maxine Mayfield & Lucas Sinclair & Mike Wheeler, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Series: The Creekwoodverse but it's Stranger Things [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1936516
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Because all of my other Stranger Things fanfics are dark, I decided I'd write something nice for a change. I'm lowkey a Will X Mike shipper. In this fanfic, there are no upside-down or powers, and it's in modern-day. The kids are also juniors in this. Now on with the chapter.

It was the post that shook the entirety of Hawkins High School. On the school's gossip blog, Hawkin's Secrets, someone made an anonymous post, saying that they were a closeted student at the school. In a place like New York, this wouldn't be a big deal, but in conservative Hawkins, Indiana, it was.

The post was on Creekwood Secret was all that was on Will's mind. He was also in the closet. When he got home, he wanted to email the person who was just known as 'Blue.' "Don't you agree with me?" Dustin asked, snapping Will out of his thoughts.

"What?" Will asked.

"I told you he wasn't paying attention," Lucas said. "He was off in la-la land, per usual."

"Max and Lucas have gone insane," Dustin exclaimed. "They believe cold pizza is just as good as straight out of the oven pizza. Don't you think that's crazy?"

"Sorry Lucas and Max, I have to agree with Dustin on this one," Will stated. "Nothing will ever beat straight out of the oven pizza."

"You guys clearly don't have any brains," Max said. Will looked around the lunch table. It was hard to believe that before middle school, it was just him, Dustin, and Jane. Once they reached middle school, the trio got into Dungeons and Dragons. Will joined the school's D&D club, where he met and befriended Lucas Sinclair. Lucas brought his friends Mike Wheeler and the arrogant Bruno Pines to the lunch table. Max moved to Hawkins at the beginning of the school year. She was in Dustin's class and they became quick friends. Lucas became immediately smitten by her, and they soon started to flirt with each other not so subtly. They both refused to admit that their into each other, though.

The bell rang, signifying the end of lunch. "Hey, are you guys going to my Halloween party next Friday?" Bruno asked as he put on his bookbag.

"Definitely," Max answered, standing up. "I already have my costume picked out."

"Perfect," Bruno said. "I have a friend who can get us some booze. This party is going to be lit!"

The friends then leave the cafeteria and go to their separate classes.  
\---  
After school, Will went straight home from school. He entered his trailer and noticed he was home alone. He only had his mom and older brother since his parents divorced when he was twelve. Though his mom and Jonathan tried to hide it, he knew that his dad was always late when it came to paying for child support. He heard the shouting matches his mom had over the phone with him, and he saw the letters from the landlord before his mom did.

Will went to the bedroom he shared with his brother. He grabbed the family laptop and logged on. He went straight to Tumblr to get the email of the kid who made the post. It didn't take long for him to find it. Afterward, he went to Gmail and made a new account. He wanted to keep it anonymous for now.

Once the account was created, he started work on an email to Blue. He decided he would use his D&D character to keep his identity a secret. It was the one he used when he was just playing with Dustin and Jane, which was a rarity nowadays.

Blue,

I saw your post on Hawkin's Secret and decided to reach out. Like you, I'm also in the closet. I'm relieved to know that there is someone else at school who understands my struggle. Hawkins is probably the most conservative town in the state, so I can't talk to people about what I'm dealing with.

When did you know that you were gay? I think I knew the night of my seventh grade Snow Ball dance. I ditched my date within the first ten minutes to eat pizza with my two other friends, while we judged the teacher's awful dance moves. Some of her friends managed to pull me away, and she placed a kiss on me. At that moment I knew that I was definitely gay. I ran back to my friends after the kiss and never spoke to her again. I also realized that I liked Brendon Urie, but not his music.

Please respond when you have a chance. I would like to get to know you.

Crogan(I'm also using a fake name, of course)


	2. Chapter 2

Crogan,

First of all, great choice for your anonymous name. I have never met one Crogan in my entire life, so I have no clue who I'm emailing. Sounds like something straight out of a fantasy novel.

Second, I'm glad you reached out. It's a major relief seeing that someone else at school is going threw what I'm going threw. I would love to continue emailing you if you don't mind.

I can't pinpoint the moment I realized I was gay. It just happened one day. Around the same time, I foreign exchange student from Germany moved to Hawkins. I probably only said a hundred words to him during that semester, but I was very attracted to him. I never crushed on Brendon(though I'm a big Panic! At the Disco fan,) but I did find young Roger Taylor hot.

Please respond when you get a chance.

\- Blue

Will wasn't expecting Blue to respond so quickly. He was sat in the school library on one of the computers since the service at the school was terrible. He knew it was a risk to be reading this email on a public computer, but his curiosity got the best of him.

Before he could respond. the bell rang, signifying it was time for him to go to first period. He figured he wouldn't be able to respond until lunch, which gave him plenty of time to come up with the perfect response. He stood up and left the library.  
\---  
Will's first period was drama class, which was mostly just painting props for upcoming productions that the drama club was putting on. Will loved this class because he enjoyed painting and drawing, but most people in the class used this as a free period. Most of them snuck off to make out in the janitor's closet or play on their phones. This December, the school was doing "Mary Poppins" so they got to use quite a few sets with bright colors.

Will was working on the bank set when James Dante walked over to him. James Dante. The school's resident class clown that everyone pretends to like. "Hey," James said. "Do you need help?"

"No thanks," Will said, not looking up from the prop he was painting. Most of the students who weren't ditching were painting props backstage, but there were a few who were painting on the stage. It was said their school had the auditorium with the best acoustics in the state of Indiana. The only thing the school could brag about.

"You forgot to log out of your email earlier," James said. Will looked about at him. "Don't worry, I logged out before anyone else would see it. But I took a few screenshots of your conversation with someone named Blue, and I discovered some interesting information about you."

"Delete those screenshots," Will demanded.

"Not yet," James said. "I will delete them under one condition."

"What?" Will asked, in a cold voice. "Need me to write your English paper?"

"Nothing like that," James said. "I just want you to put in a good word in about me with Max, and possibly invite me to places that she's going to be."

"In your dreams," Will spat.

"Fine, I guess I will post those emails on Hawkins Secrets," James threatened. "Maybe I'll add some explicit stuff about what you want them to do to you. Don't worry, I'll say the add is only open to guys."

"Fine, I'll put in a good word with Max," Will groaned. "I know she's going to be at Bruno's Halloween party next Friday. I will text you the address."

"Thank you," James said. They then exchange numbers and go their separate ways. Will put his contact name as "Voldemort." He then went back to work on the desk he was painting, but it was hard to focus on what he was doing. James Dante knew his secret. He would be calmer if it was almost anyone else at the school, but it had to be him. The bell soon rang, signifying the end of first period. Will got up and left the auditorium.  
\---  
Will snuck away from the lunch table, saying he was going to the library to pick up a new book. It was a half-truth. He was going to the library, but to respond to Blue's email. He went to the first open computer and logged onto his email. He began work on his new email.

Blue,

I'm glad you decided to respond to my email. I would love to continue our emails. I need something more to do than play D&D and eat my weight in Oreos every day. Oreos are a gift straight from Heaven. You can't change my mind.

I see you have great taste in music. I was always more of a Freddie kind of guy, but I see the appeal of Roger. I remember that exchange student. His name was Augustine and he was in my choir. He was cute, but not my type.

I hope you respond soon. I know the teachers here love giving us a ton of homework. I have three tests within the next two days. Pray for me.

\- Crogan


	3. Chapter 3

Halloween was Will Byer's favorite holiday. It was the one day a year he didn't have to be himself. He could be Spider-Man or one of the ghostbusters. It was different than playing Dungeons and Dragons in someone's basement. He got to do a full-on outfit.

This year, Will was going as Marty Mcfly from Back to the Future. It was simple, but Will figured that most people would understand who he was trying to be. Blue refused to tell him who he was going as, no matter how much Will tried to pry it out of him.

"Will, your friends are here," Joyce called out. Will almost ran to the living room, but he was just slow enough for it to be considered a fast walk. Max and Lucas were standing in the doorway. Max was dressed up as supergirl, and Lucas was going as a zombie soccer player.

"Hey guys," Will said.

"Hey Will," Lucas said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Will answered.

"Remember to be home by ten," Joyce called out as the trio exit the house. They climb into Lucas's jeep. Will, Dustin, and Jane were packed like sardines in the back, while Max sat with Lucas in the front.

"I'm not going to miss this seating arrangement when we're all off at college after next year," Jane murmured. Max turned around to face the trio. She had her a smirk on her face.

"But you're going to miss us," Max said.

"I'm going to miss the boys, but not you," Jane said. Will noticed that Max hasn't picked up on Jane's hostility towards her. She thought it was just Jane's sense of humor and she did that with everyone, but that wasn't true. Will figured that it was because of Max and Lucas's flirtatious relationship. He had a theory that Jane had a crush on Lucas.

"Admit it, you're going to miss me," Max teased.

"No, I'm not," Jane said.

"Yes, you are," Max said. This went on for the rest of the car drive. Lucas tried to turn up the radio to tune out the girls, but the girls just got louder. It was a major relief when they finally arrived at Bruno's house.

"This isn't over until you admit it," Max promised.

"Then we're going to be having this debate in the afterlife," Jane said. They pulled over in front of the house and walked to the front door. They open the door and go inside. They were immediately greeted by the smell of alcohol. The party hadn't even been going on for thirty minutes.

"I'm glad you guys could make it," Bruno said, walking over to the group that had just arrived. "Can I get you guys something to drink?"

"Just a coke please," Will requested. The others asked for their drinks before going to the living room. They joined Mike on the couch as they watched a girl in a minion costume sing a bad cover of "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga.

James approached the group. "Wassup," he said.

"Hey James," Will said, trying to hide the hatred in his voice. James managed to scoot his way in-between Max and Lucas, to both of their dismay. Will rolled his eyes as James tried to chat with Max, who was trying to hide her disinterest.

"I'm going to get a snack," Lucas announced.

"I'll come with you," Will suggested. They walk to the crowded kitchen and started to fix some snacks. There was a window in the kitchen that opened into the living room. Lucas used this to spy on Max and James.

"Do you like Max?" Lucas asked.

"No," Will answered. He then got nervous. "I mean I like her as a friend, but nothing else. Like I don't like her romantically. I love all women."

Lucas thought that was weird, but he figured it was just Will being Will. "Do you know if she has a boyfriend?" Lucas asked. Will's knew he had to think fast. He knew if Lucas and Max got together, his secret would be revealed. He wasn't just trying to protect himself. He was trying to protect Blue.

"Yeah, he lives in Minnesota though," Will lied. "His name is Jackson, and he's a freshman in college."

"Oh," Lucas sighed. "She never mentioned having a boyfriend."

"She didn't want to hurt your feelings," Will said. Lucas nods as they rejoin everyone in the living room.  
\---  
After the party, everyone piled into Lucas's jeep again. "James is so cringy," Max said.

"I can't even argue with that," Jane said.

"He tried to get my number, but I shut that down quickly," Max said. Will entirely cringed, wishing she knew what was at stake. Maybe then she would try to be interested in James.

They pulled up to Will's house. "I'll see you at school Monday," Lucas said.

"See ya," Will said. He then climbed out of the car and went inside his home.


	4. Chapter 4

Crogan,

I may have come out to my sisters last night. The three of us were hanging out while watching Tangled and eating Oreos(Halloween Oreos are the best). When out of nowhere, I just said "So I'm gay."

There was a moment of silence after I said that. I know that my youngest sister is too young to know what being gay is(she's about to be six) but my older sister completely understood. After the moment of silence, she walked over to me and hugged me. She thanked me for telling her and said that she was okay with that. I told her that I made the Tumblr post, but I didn't tell her about our emails. She promised to keep it a secret until I was ready to tell everyone else.

Anyway, homecoming is next week. Are you going to the dance or the homecoming game? I don't think that I'm going to the game, but I'll probably go to the dance. I hate football games since they're always too loud. I prefer to spend my Friday nights hanging out with my friends. Is that crazy?

\- Blue

Blue,

I don't think that is crazy. I hate loud noises as well. I often spend Friday nights at the arcade with my friends. Also, congrats on coming out to your sisters. I'm glad that you're older sister was supportive. I'm sure that you're younger sister will grow into being supportive.

I'm not crazy about the football aspect, but I love dressing up for homecoming week. I'm most looking forward to Monday: decades day. My grade got the 1950s, which means greasers. I have my dad's leather jacket somewhere in my closet so I'll probably wear that.

\- Crogan  
\---  
Will leaned back in the chair he was sitting in the auditorium. He had finished his work in drama class from the day, so he decided to hide in the audience before Mrs. Fletcher could give him more work. Luckily for him, the area near the exit was dark.

James made his way towards where Will was sitting. Will quickly exited his emails. "You don't have to act like that around me," James said. "I know your secret, and I already have enough evidence to blackmail you."

"What do you want?"

"Do you know if Max has a date for homecoming?" James asked.

"I have no clue," Will sighed.

"I thought you two were bestfriends," James said.

"We all have our secrets, you know," Will said, shooting a glare at James. He wanted to continue to pester Will about Max, but Will popped in his earbuds and put on his The Clash playlist. James sighed and walked away.  
\---  
Will came home, and, to his suprise, his brother was sitting in their room. Jonathan was blasting "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" by The Clash. "So darling, you've got to let me know," Jonathan sang.

"Should I stay or should I go?" Will and Jonathan sang in unison. Jonathan then noticed his brother was standing in the doorway. Will sat beside Jonathan as the song continued to play. Jonathan had an old recorder player and often played classic songs on it.

"How was school?" Jonathan asked.

"School was fine," Will said. Will remembered what Blue did last night, and he got a sudden burst of courage. He continued to nod along to the song. It ended about two minutes later. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course," Jonathan said, stopping the record player. Will took a deep breath, realizing what he was about to do.

"Jonathan," Will sighed. "I'm gay."

There was a moment of silence. "Thank you for telling me," Jonathan whispered.

"Are you surprised?" Will asked.

"No," Jonathan said. "Do you want me to be?"

"I don't know," Will said. Jonathan then pulled his brother in for a hug.

"I just want you to know that I love you," Jonathan said.

"I love you too," Will said. Will cried as his brother rubbed his back.

"You're still the spectacular Will the Wise," Jonathan whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Will was sitting at his normal lunch table. Lucas and Dustin were having one of their normal geeky arguments. That day, it was over who would win in a fight, Spider-Man or the Flash. Will felt his phone vibrate, and he saw that he had a text from James.

James: Lucas and Max are getting a little close. Don't you think?

Will noticed that Lucas and Mike had switched seats. Usually, Mike sat on Max's left, but he assumed that Lucas asked Max asked Mike to trade seats with Lucas. Seeing how there wasn't any conflict, Lucas hadn't found out that Will lied about Max having a boyfriend.

Will: What do you want me to do?

James: Switch seats with Lucas. Or, even better, invite me to sit at the table!

Will: The table is already full. We don't have room to add an extra chair.

James: Then find a bigger table.

Will: It's November. No one switches tables in November. It's an unspoken rule of High School.

"Why are you texting with James?" Mike asked. "I thought you hated his guts."

"I do, but we've been paired together for an English project so I have to tolerate him," Will lied. He knew he had to pick English class since that was the only class he didn't share with one of his friends.

Mike nods and returns to his meal. Will toyed with the idea of Mike being Blue, but that idea was killed when he caught him making out with Jamie Thompson in the auditorium during first period. As cute as he thought Mike was, he figured that he was straight, and would never be into him.

"Are you guys going to the homecoming game?" Lucas asked.

"I don't think so," Will said.

"But it's the biggest game of the season," Bruno stated. "Everyone is going. At least you should go for the crowning of the homecoming court."

"I'm even going," Jane said. "You should come. We're getting Waffle House beforehand."

Waffle House. That was the group's haven. If there was a celebration, or if someone was having a bad day, they would go to Waffle House. To them, nothing was better than a stack of waffles and friends. "So are you going to go?" Max asked.

"Sure, but I'm not paying," Will said.

"Like always," Max said, rolling her eyes.  
\---  
Will had an English class for the last class of the day. Since there was a substitute, they were just watching the original Lion King that day. She justified it by saying it was just Hamlet with cats.

James tapped on Will's shoulder. Will turned around and glared daggers at him. "I want you to get me a date to homecoming with Max," James said.

"We're all going to Waffle House before the game," Will whispered. "I'll try to get you two a booth by yourselves."

"You better, or everyone will know your secret," James threatened. Will turned around and tried to get back into the movie, but James wouldn't leave his mind. He knew James would hang this over his head for the rest of high school. That, to Will Byers, was a fate worse than death.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my story! You guys are all amazing gems. Now on with the chapter!

By the time it was time for the homecoming game, Will had already devised the perfect plan. He managed to convince Max to sit at a table by herself with James. Will also figured now would be a good time to get rid of the love triangle problem. He got Jane and Lucas to sit at a table by themselves, leaving Will with Bruno and Mike.

"Why did you invite James?" Bruno asked, after swallowing a mouthful of peanut butter waffles. "Are you guys, like, friends now?"

"We're not friends," Will said. "Our moms are friends, and my mom made me invite him."

Bruno nods and takes in another mouthful of waffle. Will looked over at Max and James's table. He could only see Max's face since James was sitting on the other side of the table. Max had a fake smile on her face as she pretended to be interested in what James was saying. She just nodded along and didn't say anything.

They soon finished their meals. It was decided that everyone would pay for their meals, except for Max since James insisted he paid for her. Max was clearly annoyed by this. They stepped out of the brick building. "We have ten minutes to get to the school," Mike said, looking at his watch.

"We should go if we want decent seats," Max said. The group nods and walks to their cars.  
\---  
The homecoming festivities went by as usual. The homecoming court was crowned, and then the choir came onto the field. They sang their set that included the school's alma martyr, the national anthem, and the prayer song they chose to do that evening.

Once the choir finished singing, James walked onto the football field. He snatched the microphone from the principal's hands. "What is that idiot doing?" Bruno muttered. Will's stomach began to turn, hoping James wasn't about to make a big proclamation of love for Max.

"Max Mayfield, I've been in love with you ever since you've moved to Hawkins," James exclaimed. Max's face turned as red as a tomato. She quickly hid her face in her hands, but that didn't stop James. "Ever since you moved into the house across the street from mine, I was enamored with you. So, please, attend the homecoming dance with me tonight as my girlfriend. I promise to treat you like the queen you are."

Everyone in the stadium turned to face Max. She looked up, and they saw that she was crying out of embarrassment. "James, I'm sure you're a great guy," Max said. "But I'm sorry. My answer is no. We can be friends if you want."

The audience then turned to James. They stared at him with pity. "Oh, that's fine," James said, before running off. Will decided to follow him since this was his fault. He caught him right before he walked passed the school gate.

"James, I'm so sorry," Will said.

"Have a great weekend, Byers," James said, before walking off, leaving Will with a sense of dread.  
\---  
The next few weeks went by without incident, which scarred Will even more. Will was sitting at his desk, trying to draw something. It was the day before Thanksgiving. Jonathan entered the room, holding the family computer. "You might want to see this," Jonathan said, closing the door with his leg.

"What is it?" Will asked. Jonathan sat on Will's bed, and Will sat on his left. The computer was opened to Hawkins Secret. Will tried to hold in the tears as he saw what was the first post.

Dear students of Hawkins High School,

This is Will Byers, and I've come to announce that I am gay. I've been secretly emailing the other closeted gay kid at school who we know as Blue. DM me if you guys are interested in having a good time. No girls allowed ;).


	7. Chapter 7

Will just wanted to curl up in a ball and die. His biggest secret had just been exposed to the world. He brought his knees to his face and began to cry, Jonathan rubbed his brother's back. "I've already reported the post," Jonathan whispered. "Will, I am so sorry that this happened to you."

"It's ok," Will said, slowly getting out of his self made ball.

"Do you know who would post something like this?" Jonathan asked. Will knew exactly who made that post, but he didn't say a word. He saw that he had received a text from Lucas.

Lucas: Did you see the post on Hawkins Secrets?

Will closed his eyes. He knew he could no longer deny it.

Will: I did. And it's true. I'm gay, but I didn't make the post.

Lucas: Figured. Not you being gay(which I'm ok about,) but you making the post.

The texting conversation ended right after that. Will just laid on his bed and cried.  
\---  
That night, the Byers sat down and had dinner together. Will was barely touching his meal, which Joyce immediately noticed. "Mom, I can tell you anything right?" Will asked. playing with his meatloaf.

"Of course," Joyce said.

"And you promise that you'll love me no matter what?" Will asked.

"I will," Joyce said. Will then made eye-contact with his mom. Jonathan knew what Will was about to do.

"Mom, I'm gay," Will sighed. There was a moment of silence before Joyce stood up. She walked to the other side of the table and hugged Will. At that moment, it felt like the best hug he had received.

"Thank you for telling me," Joyce whispered.

"You're welcome," Will said. They then continue to eat dinner. Once dinner was finished, there was a knock on the door. Joyce opened the door and saw Lucas and Max on the other side.

"Hello, Ms. Byers," Lucas said. "Is Will free?"

"Yeah," Joyce said. "He's in the dining room."

"Is he free tonight?" Max asked. "We're having a sleepover at Lucas's house. He'll be back before lunch tomorrow. I know you guys have a tradition to always eat Thanksgiving lunch together at exactly twelve-thirty."

"Sure," Joyce said. "Hey Will! Your friends are here to invite you to a sleepover! Do you want to go?"

"Yes, just let me go pack a bag," Will said. He ran to his room and grabbed his spend-the-night bag from his closet. He threw in a change of clothes and underwear, pajamas, and his phone charger. He picked up the bag and went to the living room. "I'm ready."

"Then let's go," Will said. They then go to Lucas's truck and climb in. The radio turns on as they pull out of the driveway. Will quickly realizes that they weren't going in the direction of Lucas's house. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Max said. They drive into town and drive for a few minutes before stopping at Frazzy's, the only gay bar in town.

"I don't we're supposed to be here," Will said.

"It's also a restaurant," Max said. "We're grabbing dinner."

"I just ate," Will said.

"Then go in and socialize," Max said. She then turned around. "Please just go in, at least for five minutes. You might like this."

"Fine," Will sighed. They climbed out of the truck and walked inside.  
\---  
About an hour later, Will was sitting at the bar, talking to a boy named Jacob. He went to the local college and was there with a few of his friends. Will ordered what he thought was an orange soda, but is quickly realizing it is not. "So what do you do for fun?" Jacob asked.

"I mostly play dungeons and dragons, but I also do about of drawing," Will said, slurring a little but. He saw that Lucas and Max were watching him from their booth. They were gesturing for him to join them, but he didn't really want to.

"Interesting," Jacob said. "I haven't really seen you around the campus. What school do you attend?"

"Hawkins High School," Will answered. "I'm a junior."

Jacob's face darkened. "Why didn't you tell me?" Jacob asked. "I need to find your friends."

"They're over there," Will said, gleefully. Jacob took Will's hand and led him to the booth. He sat him beside Lucas.

"Thank you," Lucas said. "We should take him home."

"Good thinking," Max said.

"No I don't want to," Will whined. Lucas pulled Will up and took him to the exit of the bar. "I'm gay!"

"Yeah you are," a random person at the bar yelled proudly. He looked in that direction and gave him a drunken smile. They go to Lucas's car and put him in. They laid him in the back and they climbed into the front of the car. They buckled up and drove off.

"This was a bad idea," Max said.

"Agreed," Lucas said. They then drive off as Will yelled random things.  
\---  
The next morning, Will woke up with a throbbing headache. It took him a moment for his vision to clear up. He looked at his phone and saw that Blue had emailed him. He unlocked his phone and opened the email.

Dear Crogan(or Will,)

I should have known. I think I remember hearing that Crogan was the name of one of your D&D characters. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I wish I could come over and hug you, but I'm with my grandparents out of town.

I also wrote to you to say that our emails are going to stop. I'm sorry, but I'm scared that I'll be outed next. Once this email is sent, I'm going to delete my email account. I hope you have a great life.

\- Blue

"No," Will whispered. He started to work on his next email, begging for him not to delete it. Will had tears streaming down his face. He clicked send, but it said that the email address didn't exist. Will sobbed as he mourned the loss of Blue.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Homophobic bullying.

Will stayed in his house for the rest of Thanksgiving break. He spent most of it locked in his room, drawing. He was dreading Monday, the first time he would have to face the school as an openly gay man. He sat in the living room, waiting for Lucas to pick him up from school, but it wasn't coming. Lucas was ten minutes late.

"I'm sure he just slept in," Jonathan said. "I'll drive you to school. Just text Lucas that you don't need a ride."

Will nods and follows Jonathan to his car. He sent Lucas a text, informing him that he had a ride to school. "I have an artist I want to play for you," Jonathan said. "You've probably heard them, but I want you to listen to it with a new context."

Queen's "We Are The Champions" began to play. "I'm sure you've heard this, but if you don't know, the lead singer of Queen was a gay man," Jonathan explained.

"Everyone knows that," Will stated.

"Some of the greatest artists are gay," Jonathan explained. "I'm going to make you a playlist."

"Thanks," Will said. They then pulled up to the school. Will said goodbye to Jonathan before he climbed out of the car. He walked into the school and saw Lucas, Max, and Jane were waiting for him at his locker. He walked over to them. "Hey."

"Hey," Lucas said. That's when Will noticed that Max and Lucas were holding hands. "We got together after you left Thursday."

"I'm happy for you guys," Will said.

"We started to talk about why it took so long for us to get together," Lucas said.

"And I apparently have a secret boyfriend back in Minnesota," Max said. "Who's a freshman in college. You know he is such a secret that I didn't even know he existed. Is this why you've suddenly become bestfriends with James Dante? You were using me like a piece of meat to keep your secret."

"I was being blackmailed," Will said, defensively.

"You could have talked to us," Lucas said, angrily. "We could have figured something out! But you took the easy way out and used us as apart of your game. By doing so, you have ruined all of your close friendships."

Lucas and Max walked off. Jane was about to follow him, but Will stopped her. "Jane, you have to listen to me," Will pleaded. "I know I royally screwed up here, but you have to listen to me-"

"Is this what that Wafflehouse date was about?" Jane interrogated. "Because guess what? Lucas spent the entire that ogling at Max. You set me up to have my heart broken and be embarrassed."

"I thought you had a crush on Lucas," Will said.

"I don't have a crush on Lucas," Jane almost shouted. "I've been in love with you since freshman year! I thought I actually had a chance with you because no girl managed to capture your heart yet. But I guess I was wrong. I don't have a problem with you being gay, but this was too much. You broke my heart, Will Byers."

Jane walked off. Will watched her solemnly, realizing that he was now alone. He no longer had Blue or his friends. It was just him against the universe.  
\---  
Will kept his head down for most of the day. He tried to avoid contact with any of his old friends. When he arrived at lunch, he saw that his table was empty, but Jane, Lucas, and Max had already put their bags into their chairs. It was a clear sign to Will that he had to find somewhere else to eat.

Will sat at the only open table that wasn't claimed. Two boys from the football team, Jeremy and Jose, climbed onto their table. Jeremy was dressed up like Will, and Jose was dressed up like Calvin, the only other openly gay kid at the school.

They started to play a sexual song and do sexual dances. "Do you like this Byers?" Jeremy called out. "This is for you!"

Will saw that his "friends" were staring at him, but they didn't dare intervene. The vice-principal came in and put an end to the show. Will stared at his chicken sandwich as the boys were escorted to the principal's office.  
\---  
After school, Will made his way over to the senior parking lot. Jonathan was already waiting for him. "Hey," a voice called out. Will turned around and saw James had followed him. "I want to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to you," Will snapped.

"I just wanted to apologize," James said. "I didn't know it was going to get this bad."

"You didn't think at all," Will said. "Do you ever think? Did you ever think that your actions have consequences? I don't think you can think! Coming out was supposed to be my thing! And you stole that from me! So get away from me!"

Will walked over to Jonathan's car without saying another word. He sat in the passenger's seat and screamed. "Let it all out," Jonathan said, in a soothing voice. Will began to sob as Jonathan rubbed his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hurt me to write. I wasn't looking forward to writing Jane/Eleven like Leah from the film/book, but I felt it was needed for the plot. Personally, I can't stand Leah(she's just so angry and mean to everyone. Currently reading Leah on the Offbeat, and she's worse in that.) But nonetheless, she's important to the plot. Goodbye, my gems.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few weeks were torturous for Will Byers. He was bullied for being gay. People yelled homophobic slurs at him as he walked down the halls. The worst part is his "friends" didn't do anything about it. They just watched from the sides, but never joined in with the taunting. He knew he messed up, but he thought they would always have his back.

Will was sitting in his room, working on his homework. He received a text from Mike, asking if he was going to attend that day's D&D club meeting. Mike and Bruno seemed to be mutual on the subject or didn't know what went on, so they still talked with Will. Will wished to attend the meeting, but he knew Lucas was going to be there so he said no.

Jonathan entered the room. "Do you need a ride to the comic shop?" Jonathan asked

"I'm not going," Will murmured.

"It seems like you're not hanging out with your friends as much," Jonathan said, sitting on the bed. "Did something happen?"

Will broke down and told Jonathan everything about Blue and James. Jonathan rubbed his back. He pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh Will," Jonathan said. "I'm sorry that this happened to you."

"I really messed everything up," Will sobbed. "I should have talked to them. Now their gone, and Blue deleted his email."

"Though I agree that you didn't handle the situation in the best way, they shouldn't have left you in your time of need," Jonathan said. "I think you all need to sit down and talk."

"What about Blue?" Will asked.

"I can't really tell you about that since I'm not good with romance," Jonathan said. "But I'm sure you'll think of something."

Jonathan then left for his after school job. Will looked at the ceiling, thinking of how he was going to fix this. He remembered that the Winter Carnival opened that Friday, and he got an idea. He opened Tumblr on his phone and went to Hawkins Secrets. He started work on his post.

Dear student of Hawkins High School,

If you've been at school(or have a decent data plan) you'd know that I was recently outed as gay. I tried a lot to keep my secret as a secret, leading me to hurt some of the greatest people I know. And I'd just like to apologize to them. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I'd like that.

I've also fallen in love with a boy only known as Blue. Blue, if you're reading this, I just want you to know that you deserve a great love story, and so do I. So if you want one, I'll be at the Ferris Wheel at the winter carnival after the play Friday. Hope to see you there.

Love, Will  
\---  
The next day was Friday. As Will walked into the school, the students gave him high fives. Some of them even gave him supportive hugs. The funny thing was he didn't know half of the students that did this.

Will stayed after school and hung out in the auditorium. He watched as the set came together. He almost offered to help set up the sets, but they seemed to know what they were doing. So he just sat in the back of the auditorium and played on his phone.

He saw that it was six-thirty, meaning he had to show the man at the ticket booth his pass. Everyone who was in the drama class got to see the production for free. They just had to show the man at the ticket booth their certificate. Will walked over to him and showed him his pass. The man at the booth nods and gestures him to go into the auditorium.

Will stared at the stage and waited for the show to begin. Bruno sat on his left. "Mike has some homework he has to do," Bruno whispered. "That's why he's not here. He's going to show up to support you at the carnival, though."

"Ok," Will said. The play then began. Everyone did their best and the show ended up being pretty good. After the show, most people walked to the stage to talk to the actors. Max, Lucas, and Jane sat around Will, and, for a moment, they were silent.

"Hey," Will sighed.

"Hey," Lucas said. "I feel like we all owe each other some apologies. I'm sorry that I abandoned you."

"I'm sorry too," Max said. "I should have taken into account that you were being blackmailed, but I was too caught up in my emotions."

"And it was unfair of me to assume that I was entitled to your feelings," Jane said. "How could you have picked up on my feelings since I never flirted? I hope you can forgive us and join us at the carnival."

"I'm sorry to all of you," Will said. "I used all of you to keep my secret. I really don't deserve you guys."

"We've all made mistakes, but I think it's time we move past it and grow," Lucas said. Bruno watched as the four friends stood up. He smiled as they hugged each other. They stayed like that for a few seconds.

"Now let's get Will his man," Jane cheered. The five of them then exit the auditorium and go to the parking lot. They climb into their cars and drive to the Winter Carnival.


	10. Chapter 10

Will bought a bunch of tickets from the man running the ticket booth. He, along with Max, Dustin, Jane, Bruno, and Lucas, entered the carnival. Jane bought some cotton candy and Lucas bought a bucket of popcorn. They walked over to the Ferris Wheel. "Go get your man, buddy," Jane said. "We'll be waiting here."

Will gave the man running the ride all of his tickets. He then climbed onto the cart and, when he was secure into the cart, the ride began. He looked at the ground, waiting for someone new to arrive at the scene. "Go Will," Max shouted. Will smiled down at them.

A crowd started to form around the Ferris Wheel. Most of them were kids from Will's school. As Will's tickets began to run low, his fear that Blue won't come grew. Soon he was on his last ticket. James ran up to the boarding area.

"It is I," James declared. "I'm Blue. I love you."

Will was quiet for a moment. "No you're not," Will said, shaking his head.

"You're right, I'm not," James confessed. "This was just too tragic. I had to step in."

James gave the ride operator a stack of ride tickets. "This should last awhile," James said. Once James was back in the crowd, the ride started back up. Will felt like he was going to die of embarrassment.

"Babe this is too brutal, I can't watch," Lucas said. After thirty minutes, Will was on his last ticket. He was about to step off of the ride when he heard a voice call out.

"Wait," a voice yelled. He turned around and saw that Mike Wheeler was now on the ride platform. There was a shocked silence amongst the crowd. "Can I join you?"

"I was kinda waiting for someone," Will said, shocked.

"I know," Mike said. Will scooted over and Mike sat beside him.

"It's you," Will said. "You're Blue."

"I am," Mike sighed.

"But I saw you and Jamie making out," Will said.

"I was doing that as a favor," Mike explained. "She wanted to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, and I owed her a favor. It ended almost right after you saw us."

Will saw Jamie in the crowd. She nodded, showing that Mike was telling the truth. The ride operator strapped them back in before starting the ride back up. The ride stopped at the top.

"Are you disappointed that it's me?" Mike asked.

"No," Will said. The crowd cheered as Will cupped Mike's chin and kissed him. Mike kissed back softly. After a moment, they pulled away for air before their lips rejoined. Will now had his Blue.


	11. Chapter 11

Six months later...

Will had borrowed his mom's minivan for the day. It was the first day of summer, and he and his friends were going to the beach. First, he went to McDonald's to get everyone some iced coffee. He then drove to Lucas's house.

He stopped in front of the house and waited for Lucas. He soon exited the house and ran to the car. He climbed inside and gave Lucas his coffee. "Hey man," Lucas said. "Thanks for the coffee."

"No problem," Will said. They then drove to Max's house. She was standing in her yard, waiting for them. She then joined Lucas in the back. Will handed her ice coffee. "Hey, Max."

"Hey Will," Max said. Will then drove to Jane's house and sent her a text. Soon, Jane exited her house and walked to the car. She got into the passenger's side. Will greeted her and gave her the iced coffee.

"Bruno and Dustin are going to meet us there," Jane reported.

"Ok, so all we have to do is pick up Mike," Will said. Even though they had been dating for a while, Will still smiled whenever he said Mike's name. He puts on the playlist that Jonathan made for him. Will lip sang along to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen the entire way to Mike's house.

Once they arrived at Mike's house, Will and Jane shared a look. Jane got out of the car and joined the others in the back. Mike came out of his house and went to the car, sitting in the passenger's seat. "Good morning," Mike said.

"Good morning," Will replied. He handed Mike the finale ice coffee before they shared a brief kiss.

"You two are even more disgustingly adorable then Max and Lucas," Jane joked.

"Who's ready for a day at the beach?" Will cheered. The others got excited as Will drove off into their next adventure.


End file.
